“Do you know that video with a thousand amateur musicians on a meadow somewhere in Italy playing a song by the Foo Fighters? I would have loved to be one of the drummers.”
In his spare time, Tijs plays the drums and he sometimes makes music with a group of friends. He’s a fan of heavier guitar sounds: Muse, Queens of The Stone Age… “But my favorite band is the Foo Fighters and ‘Everlong’ is my favorite song. Don’t ask me why, but that song brings tears to my eyes.”
Tijs likes to go to festivals and concerts. He regularly heads to concert halls and in summer you can normally find him at Werchter and Pukkelpop. But in the past few months there has been little time for music. He bought a house with his girlfriend and there is still a lot of work to be done. “I’m not good at DIY. I really have two left hands. I do some gardening, but other than that, I spend a lot of time on the phone trying to get hold of professionals.”
Two years ago, as part of his communication management studies, Tijs did an internship at Mediabrands, as a market researcher. After graduating, he travelled for a few months. Then it was time for real life and he started applying for jobs. “Although there was no vacancy, I knocked on Mediabrands’ door once more. I liked the fun atmosphere during my internship; my colleagues were great. And just like that, I got myself a job as a data analyst.”
COFFEE ADDICT
With his team, Tijs investigates how well online advertising works. He compiles data from various digital sources, such as clicks on Facebook banners. “Harmonizing all that data is the biggest task. Then comes the best part of my job: pouring everything into clear visuals. I think our work will only increase in importance in the future. After all, clients are increasingly turning to online advertising.”
Tijs is not a hothead; colleagues will tell you that he remains calm in all circumstances. “Recently we changed digital platforms. That data migration caused a lot of stress, but I remained calm. When I was a student, we were given many group assignments. Since I like working with language, I was the one who wrote the reports and created the final case file. Bringing information together, basically. That’s essentially what I do now.”
To keep his energy up, Tijs refuels with coffee throughout the day. “I’m a real coffee addict; I can’t get by on only one or two cups a day. So, for my home office I’ve invested in a decent Nespresso coffee machine.”
Tijs’ team is made up of two data analysts. He is proud of the fact that he manages to achieve his tasks despite only having joined the company recently. “I don’t consider myself fully trained yet. If I can deliver a report that will help the team, I’m happy.”
”superpower - he is a pro at entertaining his two godchildren
Tijs really enjoys going out with his two godchildren. “I’ve noticed that spending time with them is something I really enjoy.” That said, he has not yet decided whether he wants to have children of his own. “I love being around children, but I’m also relieved when I can drop them off at their parents in the evening.”